The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-07-15
ceLssRATeD RIVERS.
The Power With which Many of The
Rush Into the Ocean.

The Power With which Many of These
Rush Into the Ocean.
The Volga is celebrated for its sew
enty mouths. and the Rhine, the Nile,
Mississippi aud Orinoco pour out their
current through several branches The
space inclosed within these various
channels is called delta. from its trian-
gular form and general resemblance to
the shape of one of the Greek letters.
In their junction with the sea. rivers
display the diversity of sometimes pour
ing forth their waters through single
mouth. and distributing them into a
variety of channels; circumstances
mainly dependent upon the country
through which they flow being easily
susceptible of excavation or not, and
upon the power of the stream. The
Ganges pours its food through a great
many channels.
So powerfully do many of the great
rivers rush into the ocean. that their
waters are distinct from those of
the briny deep. when out of sight of
the land. A British fleet lying oppo-
site to the mouth of the Rhone,. oe-
casionally took up fresh water at con-
siderable distance from the shore; and
Columbus found his vessel in the fresh
water of the Orinoeo before he dis
covered the continent of South America.
The collision of a great river current
and the opposing tide of the sea, is
sometimes so violent as to occasion an
elevated ridge of waters, heaving and
tossing in treme ndous manner, shat
tering to pieces the Inflated vessel that
comes into contac, with it
The passage of the Garonne into the
Bay of BiscaY. and of the Ganges into
the Bay of Bengal. exhibit this
phenomenon Upon the rivers meet
ing the advancing tides. q conflict
of the sea triumphing in the struggle,
often sends a mountain-wave up the
streams. overturning boats. inundating
ee banks and causing extensive
destruction The most remarkable
example of this struggle Tor empire be-
tween the waters of the land aud of the
deep occurs of the mouth of the
Amazon, and is the Indian pororoca
iFhen the tide flows out of the river, it
pours forth its unshackled current with
greater fury, and meeting at
right angles with the ocean
current that runs from
Cape ST. Rogue along the northeast
coast of Brazil. the shock of these two
bodies raises their waters into an EN-
hsnkment upward Of hundred fees in
heign1 The roar of the elashine
waves is n Ssrd for miles around. and
the fisher men aud mariners fiy in terror
speedily to be renewed
/ Lebanon. the feeder of the Jordan
from its internal reservoirs along with
"Abana and Pharpar. rivers of Da
mascus." and the Oroates, gives brit
TO many rapid and brawling streams.
and a thousand cascades. when lis
SHOWS melt, which strikingly display
the erosive power of running water
Deep passages have been cut in tn
rocks. bestriled by natural arches. ik
the rock bridge of Vir ginia- OF thi
description is the natural bridg
over the Ain Ell Leban. rising nearI,
two hundred feet above the torrent
which has gradually dug the exeava
ton. as annually the spring has re
| newed its strength
1t was the spring season. the time o
the melting of the snow. when tn
monarch of Israel. during his temporar.
exile from the throne. retreated for
refuge toward the Businesses of Lei
anon. He saw the torrents falling
from height to height into the valleys
He heard the voices of the waters a
they leaped from rock to rock. Hi
Imagination converted this exterus
scenery into picture of the force of hi
advelsities and hence the allusion. il
the plaintive, elegisc commemorative
of his condition, to the noise of cata
racts,'' and to .'deep calling unit.
deep "-Goide,s DAYS.
!